Collator with friction collector



June 6, 1967 w. E. THOMAS 9 3 COLLATOR WITH FRICTION COLLECTOR Filed April 26, 1965 2 Sheets-$heet l INVENTOR. WM 80/? E. THOMAS BY WW ATTORNEY June '6, 1967 w. E. THOMAS 3,323,791

COLLATOR WITH FRICTION COLLECTOR Filed April 26, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR W/LBUR E. THOMAS MM A/Pm A T TORNE V United States Patent 3,323,791 COLLATOR WITH FRICTION COLLECTOR Wilbur E. Thomas, Wayne, N.J., assignor to General Binding Corp, Northbrook, 11]., a corporation of Illinois Filed Apr. 26, 1965, Ser. No. 450,796 1 Claim. (Cl. 270-58) The present invention relates generally to collators, and specifically to a collator having a gathering or retrieving device to collect together sheets into a group.

It is an object of the invention:

(1) To provide easily loadable trays for sheets;

(2) To provide an ejector that starts the ejection step on the lower part of the sheet, yet normally rests at the top of the sheet;

(3) To provide a means of squaring-off the edges of a group of collated sheets, in the form of a jogging tray;

(4) To provide a means for gathering the sheets;

(5) To provide a means to deflect sheets for easy collation;

(6) To provide trays for sheets of varying length and width;

(7) To provide a retrieval, gathering, and collecting device for sheets;

(8) To provide trays disposable for easy access and insertion of stacks of sheets;

(9) To provide a high friction collector to engage the top of a sheet, and a low friction roller for the bottom of the sheet to move on;

(10) To provide a simple pivotal mounting for the trays.

These objects and advantages as well as other objects and advantages may be attained by the device shown by way of illustration in the drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a vertical elevational view with parts of the side wall exploded away to show the interior construction.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of a retriever platform.

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of a paper tray.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of a jogging tray.

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of a pivotable ejector mounted on an ejector support.

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of a retriever.

In the collation of sheets by disposing individual sheets in trays, and selecting one sheet from each tray, the sheets are moved partly out of the tray, and then removed manually from each tray to form a collated group. It has been found possible to avoid the step of manually gathering the partially ejected papers from each tray by the use of a retriever which is a flat, elongated member having a handle on one side and a somewhat resilient surface with a high coefficient of friction on the other side. Since it is not possible to perform the collating operation with any random orientation of the retriever, it has been found that a pre-positioning platform is desirable so that the operator of the retriever will automatically dispose the retriever in a generally horizontal position for optimum effect in collating the sheets. It has also been found that exceedingly limp papers, such as onion skin sheets have, by reason of their limpness, displayed a tendency to buckle, fold, or otherwise deform, so that neat and eflicient collation is defeated. In the present collator device, the initial sheet has been found to be deflect-able by deflector bars, which tend to urge it in the general direction of the second sheet to be collated, and to cause it to likewise form a deflector for the proper positioning of the second sheet. Optionally, it has been further found that deflectors may be formed on the side guides of each paper tray, which will accomplish the proper deflection ice I of each sheet from the successive trays. The loading of collator trays with paper to be collated has by reason of inaccessibility, frequently involved the necessity for removal of trays from the collator housing. The present collator is provided with trays which are pivotable to a generally vertical position for easy insertion of the sheets. Likewise the ejector foot is normally positioned near the top of the sheet, so that it is readily accessible to the operator who is loading the trays, and may be moved to one side for the insertion of the sheets. In previous constructions, the ejector foot has usually been positioned near the bottom of the paper tray where it is inconvenient to reach in order to perform the necessary act of moving it away from the tray for the insertion of papers. The normal position of the paper tray is maintained by a stop which performs a dual purpose. When the tray is pivoted from normal operating position to forward position for loading, the stop provided for the preceding tray provides a stop for the second position. In addition, each tray is provided with a vertically adjustable base plate so that it is adaptable to hold in proper position papers of varying widths. Since the paper ejector foot is normally disposed at the top of the sheet before the ejector action commences, rather than lower down on the sheets as is common practice, the ejector foot rolls without friction downwardly to a point from which it commences its ejection action. The ejector is so dimensioned that its downward movement will only extend to a point above the center of gravity of each sheet. This insures lineal movement of the paper without tending to tilt or twist the paper, or deform it by bowing it. The retriever exerts a frictional grip upon the first sheet as it bears against a roller and causes it to frictionally engage the second sheet, so that the second sheet will follow the first sheet and successively, the remaining sheets will follow the second, etc. sheet. In order that second and succeeding sheets may be frictionally engaged and moved by the first sheet, it is necessary that each sheet be supported until its engagement with the succeeding sheet, by a surface or member having an exceedingly low coeflicient of friction, otherwise, the succeeding sheets will bind and will not follow the superposed sheet. It has been found that a freely rotatable roller mounted for exceedingly free rotation, and provided with a surface having a relatively high coeflicient of friction is suitable for sustaining each first and each successive sheet until such sheet engages the succeeding sheet. The surface of each roller support may be a tubular rubber sleeve which will roll freely on its axle and permit the paper sheet resting upon it to move without losing frictional contact with the superposed sheet. The ejector feet are of conventional design, and are not spring loaded, but rest gravitationally upon the top sheet. When all of the collated sheets have been ejected and arranged in superposed relation, they are manually withdrawn from resting on the end roller, and under the retriever and are placed in the jogging frame or tray, with a swift movement of the hand whereby any slight irregular disposition of the sheets with respect to each other is overcome by the initial impact of the sheets against the supports of the jogging tray.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the collator provides a housing 11, which may be placed upon a table, or mounted upon legs 12. A mounting plate 13 for a retriever platform 14 is provided. The retriever platform 14 is attached to the mounting plate and pro vides a horizontal top surface 15 upon which the retriever or collector 16 may rest. The mounting plate has a pair of roller arms 17. A shaft 18 mounted on the roller arms is provided with a rubber tubular sleeve 19 with a high frictional surface and serves to guide the initial movement of the retriever 16. The shaft '18 is mounted for low frictional rotation. The plate 13 is provided with bottom slots 20 which engage pins 21 that support the plate 13 pivotally. Immediately adjacent to the tubular sleeve 19 or roller, a pair of deflectors or arms 22 are attached to the platform 14, and ex- .tend in a generally horizontal, slightly upward direction over a first paper tray to engage the paper ejected from that tray and deflect it in a rearward direction toward a second paper tray. Pins 23 serve as supports to maintain the plate 13 in its preferred angular disposition about 30 degrees from vertical. Successively throughout the housing at regular intervals after the platform 13, pivotally mounted paper trays 24 are located. These paper trays are likewise provided with bottom slots 20 which engage pivot pins 21. The paper trays 24 are held in position by the support pins 23. It is noted that support pins 23 for a preceding paper tray (or in the case of the first paper tray, the support pins for the preceding plate 13), act as stops to maintain the paper trays 24 in a generally vertical position for loading, while the ivot pins 21, and the support pins 23 maintain the trays in an operating position at an angle of approximately 30 degrees from the vertical. Each of the paper trays, like the mounting plate 13, is provided with roller arms 17, which function as supports for rollers 19. A paper support 27 is positioned on the face of the paper tray 24. End plates 26, provided with hooked top edges hang from the top of the paper tray 24. The support 27 has a generally perpendicular enlargement 28. This perpendicular enlargement 28 supports the paper. There is a central slot or cut out section 29 to accommodate an ejector arm as hereinafter described. The support 27 is accommodate at any one of several chosen leads by lugs or hooks 30 which may be engaged with any one of a series of holes 31 in the face of the paper tray 24. The end plates 26 are provided with arcuate enlargements which define paper deflectors 22 similar to those 'which are located on the retriever platform mounting plate 13. A plurality of additional paper trays 24, etc., of identical design, and successively mounted are located in the housing 11. It has been found that 12 paper trays is a suitable number for general use. Of course, each of the .trays need not be loaded if a lesser number is required, The housing 11 may be enlarged to accommodate an even greater number of paper trays 24. At the extreme end of the housing, a jogging tray 32 is located. The tray 32 extends at a similar angle to the paper trays 24 and is provided with a face plate 33 which serves as a support for a collated series of papers. It is also provided with a pair of alignment guides 34, against which a collected series of sheets of paper may be propelled, so as to bring the edges thereof into registration with each other. The collated groups of sheets may be headed in alternate directions, so that each group may be distinguished from the succeeding group.

An ejector assembly working in each paper tray 24 consists of an axle 40, mounted for reciprocation in the housing. A control arm 41 is attached to the axle, with a knob 42 for the convenience of the operator. The axle has a support link 43, which is pivotally attached to an ejector support 44 which runs the entire length of the housingfThe ejector support 44 is normally maintained at the right end of the housing 11, as shown in FIGURE 1, by a spring 45, which is attached to the ejector support 44 at one end, and to the end wall of the housing 11 at the other end. The opposite end of the ejector support 44 is similarly pivotally mounted on a support link 43, which is attached to another axle 40 at the opposite end of the housing 11 and in this manner, the ejector support 44 may reciprocate, actuated by the control arm .41. The ejector support 44 has vertical flanges 46 upon which ejectors 47 are pivotally mounted on ejector pins or axles 48. There is an ejector 47 for each of the paper trays 24, and each is disposed at an angle so that it may gravitationally bear upon the face of each empty paper tray 24, or upon the top sheet of a stack of sheets which are loaded into the paper tray. Each ejector 47, has an end or a foot 58 which is of conventional design, and may be in accordance with the foot disclosed in US. Patent No. 2,993,692, or in accordance with any of the other ejector feet which are well known in the art. The essential operating characteristic of each foot 58 is that it may move freely without frictional engagement with sheets in the tray in a downward direction, but will move with a high frictional engagement with each sheet, when the foot 58 moves in an upward direction to engage the paper and frictionally move a sheet to eject it to a distance above the tray.

The retriever 16 has a top handle 49. It is a generally fiat elongated member, perhaps six inches long, and has a pad 50 of somewhat resilient high friction ma- .terial attached at the bottom. It is essential that this material have a high coefficient of friction, particularly with respect to its contact with sheets of paper, so that upon being engaged with them, it will move them in the direction in which the retriever 16 is directed. The end 51 of retriever 16 is preferably upwardly arcuate,

. so that it will gradually engage the sheets, and only the top sheet of each group is in contact with the retriever.

With this construction, the retriever platform serves as a starting point to guide the'retriever 16 in the proper directional approach to sheetsof paper 52, which have been ejected from the paper trays 24 by the ejectors 47. As the retriever 16 is guided over the rollers 19, it engages a top sheet from the first tray 24, which in turn engages the successive ejected, top sheets 53 which have been moved out of the subsequent paper trays 24 by the ejectors 47. The top sheet is frictionally engaged by the high friction pad 50 on. the bottom of the retriever 16, and the underlying sheets 52 are engaged frictionally by each superposed sheet 52, so that when the retriever 16 reaches the extreme right of the housing shown in FIG- URE 1, it has beneath it a group of collected sheets which are then manually withdrawn from under the retriever 16, and are deposited in the jogging tray 32. The deflector bars insure against deformation, buckling or folding of the sheets. The pivoted trays provide great convenience in loading when they are disposed in a vertical position, since the ejectors 47 are readily accessible and may be moved away from the paper trays 24. The support 34 being readily adjustable, will accommodate all widths of papers in the tray. The foot 58 is moved at the start from the top of the sheets 52, toward the middle of the sheets, but never below the center of gravity of the sheet, therefore the buckling, folding or twisting of the sheet is not encountered. Since the ejector foot is normally at its maximum advanced position, i.e., at the top of the tray 24, it is at all times readily available to the operator to pivot it aside, so that additional sheets 52 can be inserted in the tray 24. The deflector 22 permits the use of a collator with limp paper, such as onion skin. The rollers rotate with a minimum of friction, and their surfaces engage the sheets 52 with a maximum of frictional contact, so, that the retriever efliciently' and precisely collates or stacks the papers from each succeeding tray 24. Any random lack of registration of superposed sheets will be minimal, 7

and the jogging tray provides the final registration of superposed sheets in precise alignment the one with the other. 7

The foregoing description is intended merely to be illustrative of the embodiment of the invention for many changes may be rearranged in the construction, selection and arrangement of the parts all within the scope of the appended claim without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

A collator comprising:

(a) a pair of side walls defining a housing,

(b) a longitudinal support mounted for reciprocation in the housing,

(c) a plurality of trays mounted in the housing transversely to the support,

(d) a plurality of ejectors, each mounted at one end on the support, and each having its other end bearing on the top surface of a stack of sheets in each tray, whereby reciprocation of the support activates each ejector in each tray to move a single sheet from a stack out of each tray,

(e) a roller at the top of each tray, and attached there- (f) an elongated member defining a sheet collector,

g) a bottom surface on the sheet collector having a high coefficient of friction,

(h) the sheet collector being movable to engage its bottom surface with the top surface of the sheet extended from a paper tray by an ejector, and to move the bottom surface of the sheet over the roller, Withdrawing it from the tray and to continue the move ment of the sheet to frictionally engage the bottom of that sheet and the bottom of each successive sheet, each with the top of each successive sheet, withdrawing each from its respective tray until all sheets are gathered into a single pile,

(i) the mounting for each tray comprising opposite pins on the side walls,

(j) side slots on each tray embracing the pins and pivotally supporting the tray,

(k) a first pair of pins on the opposite side Walls to limit the forward pivoting of each tray, and the backward pivoting of each preceding tray,

(1) a second pair of pins on the opposite side walls to limit forward pivoting of each succeeding tray.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,389,066 11/1945 Leifer 270-58 2,993,692 7/1961 Thomas 27058 3,053,176 9/1962 Shepherd 101-1325 3,193,278 7/1965 Ullberg 27G58 FOREIGN PATENTS 232,955 4/ 1964 Austria.

EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner.

P. WILLIAMS, Assistant Examiner, 

